Safe Harbor
by OzellaMarie
Summary: After receiving unsettling news, Bella Swan has found herself in the small, quiet town of Safe Harbor, and the daunting task of saying goodbye to the only man she ever loved. But what happens when a secret threatens what she thought was true love and another walks into her life promising forever? A/H Edward/Bella Romance-Humor-Hurt-Comfort HEA Mature Content and Strong Language.
1. Welcome to Safe Harbor

Chapter 1

Welcome to Safe Harbor

* * *

Bella Swan sat and watched as the only signal light in Safe Harbor, North Carolina flashed red for the umpteenth time. There were literally no cars around that would hinder her to just drive straight through without a care or a conscience. With it being Sunday morning, that meant that nearly everyone in the small, picture perfect town would more than likely be at the local farmer's market and swap meet. Nevertheless, Bella sat at that stupid light and contemplated her next move.

When the courier service delivered a manila envelope to her just two days ago, Bella was nearly knocked straight from her chair. Her heart thudded against her chest and it was almost as if she were suffocating.

 _Ms. Swan,_

 _I am writing to inform you that my brother, Riley Cullen, has passed away. I found your contact information in his belongings. I would have contacted you sooner but with everything going on it's been impossible. My brother's remains are scheduled to be transported to Safe Harbor next week, and shortly thereafter we will be holding funeral services._

 _Please contact me when you can._

 _Regards,_

 _Edward Cullen_

Bella blew out a harsh breath and clutched the steering wheel until her knuckles turned white. She tossed the painful memory aside, looked all ways, and stomped on the gas pedal. She cranked the radio up and concentrated on Melissa Ethridge's raspy voice as she sped down Main St. The last she'd driven through downtown Safe Harbor, she actually thought the small town to be very cute and something right out of an episode of The Andy Griffith Show. All of the buildings that lined Main St. were made of brick and seemed to be older than dirt but very well maintained. Hale's Barbershop even had one of those old, rotating, red, white, and blue barbershop fixtures attached to the front of the building. And Whitlock's Ice Cream and Soda Shop was still standing after seventy years, complete with the old fashioned soda fountains.

She was a city girl through and through, but Bella instantly fell in love with the small town.

Passing an old bed and breakfast, she slowed her rental and a fleeting memory of Riley caught her off guard. They had stayed a one similar for their one year anniversary, and it was then that he said, _"You, Bella Swan, are the only woman I want to spend the rest of my life with. You make me a better man."_ Hot tears streamed down her cheeks. Since finding out about Riley's passing, Bella hadn't even given herself time to grieve. She wasn't sure that she even knew how, or if that part of her brain had just shut down temporarily. Riley was the love of her life, and now he was gone. And all that's left is to bury the only man she'd ever wanted to spend the rest of her life with.

Bella wiped the tears from her cheeks and forced herself to stop crying as she continued down the street. Ten minutes later she had finally pulled up to a gorgeous home that caught her attention. She stared at the old fashioned structure. The house looked like it could have been plucked right out of Thomas Kincaid photo, complete with a wraparound porch and nestled between several willow trees. The painted white frame stood two stories high, and the windows that covered the home were the kind the pushed out when opened. Her eyes moved to the yard itself. Beautiful lilies and an array of colorful roses and even tulips sprayed the flower beds, nestled up against the front of the house.

Still soaking in the beautifully manicured yard, her attention was diverted when an older woman stepped out from the side of the house. The woman wore a white, wide brimmed hat that was covered in a beautiful array of large silk flowers. A small smile tugged at the corner's of Bella's mouth. She'd only seen hats that big in old southern movies, much like the ones worn in Gone with the Wind. Her pink top and white linen capris were nearly covered with a bright yellow and floral apron. The big, fat curls in her salt and pepper hair set off her big green eyes which Bella thought made the woman absolutely stunning. Bella's smile widened when the woman pulled out a few gardening tools and began to pluck and primp the gorgeous blooms. The woman whom Bella had never met before, look oddly familiar.

Bella itched at the possibility of photographing the woman. She'd thought of how the photos would make for an awesome muse. As she reached into the backseat to grab her camera bag, the loud, vibrating sound of a motorcycle grumbled past her car. She turned her head and watched the motorcycle pull into the driveway. She pulled her camera from the case, put it up to her eye, and focused it on the woman. She was only able to get a few shots snapped when she was nearly scared out of her skin by the sound of violent knocking on her driver's side window.

"Hey, lady!"

Bella looked out her window and was met by another set of green eyes. This time she couldn't help but stare at the man who possessed them. He was stunning, and every one of his facial features seemed to be chiseled to perfection.

"Lady! Roll down this goddamn window before I bust it open, you goddamn stalker. Who do you think you are taking pictures of my mother without her permission? Are you out of your mind?"

Bella quickly tossed her camera in the backseat of her rental. She shoved the key in the ignition and turned the car on, slamming it into reverse and then forward without taking into account that the irate idiot might get ran over. All she wanted to do was get the hell out of there.

"That's right!" She heard the asshole scream out to her. "Get the hell away from here before I call the law on your nosey ass!"

Maybe this wasn't the picture perfect town she'd thought it was. Or maybe she'd just met the Safe Harbor's resident asshole. One thing was for sure, Bella Swan needed to find this Edward Cullen and quick. The sooner she was able to get through this terrible time, the sooner she could get back home and less chance of her running in that asshole again.

* * *

Until Next Time...

OzellaMarie


	2. An Officer and a McAsshole

**Chapter 2**

 **An Officer and a McAsshole**

* * *

 _Psychotic creep…_

Bella ripped down the street, deciding that it was best not to look back. For all she knew the screaming idiot would've turned out to be a bionic butthole, chasing her through the town until he caught up to her, beheading her right in the town's square. In her diligence of getting the hell out of sight, she hadn't realized that she'd just blazed through two stop signs and nearly hit a lady walking a dog.

 _Shit…_

Within the five seconds it took to commit two driving infractions and nearly commit manslaughter, it didn't take long for the sound of sirens to blare off behind her. Taking a deep breath, Bella slowly veered the car off to the side of the road. Pulling out her driver's license and rental agreement, she waited for the officer to stroll up to her window to issue her a ticket, or two, maybe even three. But maybe if she told him about her encounter with the screaming idiot the officer might just understand and give her a break. For all she knows, the man might be known for being an ass-hat around town and if so, maybe the town law might go easy on her.

 _Wishful thinking…_

"Afternoon, Ma'am, license and registration please."

Bella handed over the items with an exaggerated smile on her face, knowing damn well she was over doing it but she had ran out of fucks to give considering what she'd just been through. She was determined to try and make the police officer see reason even if it meant buttering the man up with a huge toothy grin that made her face hurt.

"Do you understand why I pulled you over?

"Yes, Sir," Bella replied with a tiny bat of her lashes.

"You kinda flew through those two stop signs back there, not to mention you almost ran over Mrs. Stanley and Rufus. Have you been drinking, ma'am?"

"No, I have not been drinking. I am so sorry, Officer McCarty," Bella studied his name tag and smiled yet again before explaining her recent situation. Her smile immediately faded when the officer cocked his brow. "Look, officer, I am really, really sorry but I do have a very good reason for running those stop signs."

"And don't forget about Mrs. Stanley and Rufus," Officer McCarty replied with no sign of cracking.

"Yes, and I'm terribly sorry about that, but in my defense there was this crazy whack job that started yelling at me and then…"

As if her current situation couldn't have gotten any worse, the sound of loud exhaust pipes roared down the road behind her. With her attention diverted, she turned her head to see a Harley pull up alongside her car. Bella's blood rushed through her veins.

"Him! That's the crazy bastard!" Bella hollered, jabbing her finger in the crazy asshole's direction. "Arrest him for being a douche-canoe, officer!"

"Ma'am, please hand me your keys and remain in your vehicle." Officer McCarty placed his hand out. "I'm going to run your information and I'll be right back with you. Sit tight."

Bella watched the officer motion to the idiot to pull his bike in front of her rental. She knew this was it for the epic asshole. Officer McCarty would hear her side of the story and all hell would rain down on the dude. If anything he'd get arrested for assault on her rental car. Being from the city she's seen how these things work. There was no way that this screaming idiot was going to walk free.

Confident in the outcome, Bella crossed her arms over her chest, pursed her lips and watched as the asshole flailed his arms in the air and pointed at the officer menacingly. Oh, yeah. He was gonna get the book thrown at his ass, and if he kept up his blatant fuckery, the idiot might just find himself behind bars sooner rather than later. She'd seen it many times before. Some irate dip-shit, thinking that going full-blown ninja on the law because he forgot to wear a seatbelt or because his taillight was out, only to find himself being carted off to jail, always reacting before thinking.

"Ms. Swan?"

Bella hadn't realized that the officer had been standing next to her door. She smiled up at him, ready to hear how Biker Boy got his ass handed to him. And just as she took a deep breath, the asshole started is Harley, revved his engine, and hauled ass down the road and out of sight.

"Okay, Ms. Swan, I've ran your name and nothing seems to come up in the system," Officer McCarty said, handing her back her documents and I.D. "So here's what I'm going to do."

"You let him go?" Bella asked, blinking her eyes in rapid succession. "Why'd you let him go? He's like…an über asshole and you let him get away! I didn't even get a chance to tell you what he did to me."

She was shocked. Not only had she gotten pulled over because she feared for her safety and decided to drive erratically for five miles because of that asshole on the bike, now she was more than likely going to get ticketed up the ass.

"Ms. Swan, this can go one of two ways," Officer McCarty said, looking pointedly at Bella. "You can either take the _one_ traffic citation I was about to issue you and be on your way, or I can take you in on every violation you committed in the last thirty minutes. I'm trying to work with you here. It's your choice."

"But that _man_ was the reason why I committed all those violations!"

Bella sucked in a deep breath and tried to calm her nerves. She didn't want to go to jail but she also didn't want to drive away knowing that McAsshole caused half the problem and got away with it.

"Ms. Swan, I'm curious. What exactly is your business in here Safe Harbor? When I ran your license your address came back as being from New York, so I'm pretty sure you're not a local."

"My business here is personal." Bella blew out a breath between her lips. Talking about Riley wasn't something she wanted to do with a total stranger, police officer or not. But regardless, she decided to give him just a tiny bit of information. "I'm…um…here to say goodbye to a friend. Riley Cullen."

"Ah, I see." Bella watched Officer McCarty's eyes widen as if it all started to make sense to him. "I knew Riley well. Were you a friend of his?"

A blush rose in Bella's cheeks as she remembered all of the things she and Riley had done that were anything but _friendly_.

"You could say that," she replied. "We were…um…close."

"Riley seemed to have had _a lot_ of close friends." Officer McCarty nodded his understanding. "That's great, and I'm sorry for your loss. He was a…good man. A phenomenal soldier. We were all very proud of him for serving his county."

Bella had no words. She had no doubt that Riley was a phenomenal soldier. It was what he lived for.

"Well, then," Officer McCarty said as he closed his ticket book. "I think after everything that you've gone through in our small, friendly town in such a short period of time, I'm going to go ahead and let you go with a warning. Please be careful when coming up to a stop sign, and please watch for pedestrians."

Bella snorted at his use of the word "friendly" and was stunned at the officer's generosity. Had she'd been back in the city there was no doubt she'd be leaving with a bucketful of tickets.

"Um…do you know where Eclipse Drive is?" Bella asked, pointing to her GPS. "It's not showing up on this thing.

"Eclipse drive, huh? Is that where you're staying while you're in town?"

"Yeah," Bella replied, pulling out the letter that Riley's brother had sent her. "It's 62410 Eclipse Drive. Riley's brother gave me the address. Would you happen to know some easy directions? I'd hate to get lost."

"Absolutely," Officer McCarty replied, nearly smiling like a buffoon. "Take this road up to the next right, go down about a mile-the road kinda winds a bit so be careful-until you see a the address marker off to your right. Take that dirt road about half a mile. You'll see a huge home at the end of the road. The land is privately owned by the Cullen family. Not too hard to find. Once you're there I would advise you to consider calling the Cullen's to let them know that you've arrived."

"Oh, yes. I'm supposed to call Edward Cullen as soon as I get there so he can show me around."

Officer McCarty smiled even wider with a slight shake of his head. "Perfect."

Bella smiled at the officer and turned the ignition over on her rental. "Thank you for your help and for…everything. You didn't have to be so nice to me, but I appreciate it nonetheless."

"Have a good stay in Safe Harbor, Ms. Swan," Officer McCarty said before walking back to his car. Pulling up beside her driver's side, the officer nodded at Bella and said, "And you might want to refrain from taking pictures of the townsfolk around here, especially if you don't know them. Some locals might get a bit ruffled about this."

Bella's mouth dropped open. McAsshole _had_ told the officer about their encounter and he had done absolutely nothing about the idiot. Officer McCarty winked at Bella and took off, leaving her on the side of the road to fend for herself.

 _Wonderful…_

* * *

 **Until Next Time...**

 **OzellaMarie**


	3. Rubber Duckies and Bastard Cousins

**Chapter 3**

 **Rubber Duckies and Bastard Cousins**

* * *

Bella made that right turn down Eclipse Drive, thankful that Officer McCarty's directions were exactly how he'd just explained them to her. The dirt road extended nearly a quarter of a mile and was lined with tightly nestled Live oak trees. Bella's heart began to ache when thoughts of Riley flooded her memories. She thought of their last and only visit to Safe Harbor. They had only stayed one night but she remembered what that one night meant for the both of them.

Underneath similar oaks, Riley had made love to her in the evening summer breeze, professing his eternal, undying love to Bella in barely a whisper as he slowly entered her again and again until they were both breathless and sated, and when the sunrise broke in a painted mixture of blue, orange, and light purple just beyond the oaks, Riley kissed Bella on the lips and asked her to spend the rest of her life with him. Bella ran her thumb over the fourth finger on her left hand and felt the beautiful stone he'd given to her just before he'd left, and the last time she'd ever see him again.

A split second later, Bella slammed on the breaks. Her palm landed dangerously against the steering wheel in quick succession. Anger coursed through her veins at the very sobering thought that she will never see Riley, the man she was going to spend the rest of her life with, ever again.

"Oh, God," Bella sobbed through a plethora of tears. "I can't do this. I can't do this life without you, Riley."

Bella gripped the steering wheel until her knuckles turned white. Her body started to shake and she felt as though she would be sick as her insides twisted and turned. The tears continued to flood her cheeks. Reaching into her purse, she pulled out a pack of cigarettes that she swore she'd never touch again. The only reason she even held onto them was to prove to herself that she could have them around and not light one up. On the day that Riley proposed to her she'd made a decision and promised herself that she would try to quit. Bella looked down at the pack in one hand and the lighter in the other. She needed something, anything for her nerves.

"Please come back to me," she whispered, trying to catch her breath. She tossed the pack of cigarettes on the floor board and sucked back the tears but they were relentless. "Fuck."

Bella wiped away what she could of the tears and put the car into drive. She took a calming breath and continued on down the road until she reached the beautiful two-story country home. Painted white and slate grey, the home was absolutely breathtaking with its wraparound porch and hidden under two very large Live oak trees. The oaks were surrounded by beautiful white daisies. Off to the right, and sitting just slightly behind the home, was a small cottage. It was as gorgeous as the main house. It reminded her of something right out of a fairy tale.

"How come you never told me about this, Riley?" Bella asked even though he couldn't hear or respond to her. It made her feel a little bit better just believing that maybe he could in some form or fashion. "This is amazing, Ry."

Bella turned off the ignition and slipped out of the car. Placing her sunglasses on top of her head, she closed the door and decided to give Riley's brother a heads up that she had arrived. When his voice mail greeted her, she did the obvious and left him a message.

"This is Bella Swan. I just wanted to let you know that I'm at the address you sent me. Please return my call as soon as you can. Thank you."

Bella's cell phone immediately alerted her that she'd just received a text message.

 _Running late. I'll be there shortly. Thanks for waiting. Edward._

"Well, that was short and sweet," she said to no one around and closed the message out. "Your brother isn't one for words is he, Ry?"

Bella shook her head, taking a deep breath. As her feet moved to check out the place, she'd wondered for a brief moment how long this sort of pain will last. She really never had to grieve any loved one before. Her father died when she was a very little girl so in her book it doesn't really count. She didn't know the man and had no memory of him. Her mother on the other hand was alive and kicking with her new husband. She had all but abandoned Bella as soon as she entered college. It's been three years since they last spoke to one another.

Moving toward the back of the main house, Bella ditched her little trip down Memory Lane and took in every facet of the stunning property. Just as she was admiring the backyard and the beautifully crafted swing that sat right under a beautiful willow tree, the sound of gravel kicking up in the front of the home caught her attention.

"Maybe that's your brother now."

Turning on her heel and headed back toward the direction she'd just come from. A black mega cab truck with pitch black tinted windows roared down the dirt road until it came to a stop right next to her small rental. Bella stood by the porch, stuffed her hands in her back pockets and waited for the driver to exit the truck. Nerves filtered throughout her body and she wasn't quite sure why. Maybe it was the fact that she'd never met anyone from Riley's family and meeting them now under these circumstances shredded her from the inside out.

"Let's go, boy."

As a man's voice caught her attention, Bella decided that it was now or never, and as she made her way over to the truck, a large black dog hauled ass toward her. Before she could get the hell out of its way, the dog, with its wagging tail and hanging tongue, jumped up on her and started licking her face.

"Oh, crap!" Her voice rose just a bit higher than normal. "Wow you sure are happy aren't you puppy?"

"He's anything but a p…"

 _Him…_

"You! McAsshole! It's you!"

"What in the hell are _you_ doing here? What? Did you come here to take more pictures? Or I know! You're lost again, right? Well, get un-lost and get the hell off my property before I call the law!"

"The law was the one that sent me here, genius!"

McAsshole's features morphed seven ways to Sunday as he ran a hand through his hair.

"So much for having a cop for a cousin," he said, pulling is phone out of his pocket. "Wait until I get a hold of that bastard Emmett. He's gonna wish his ass was in another state."

"Officer McCarty's your cousin?"

"Yeah, _genius_ , he is."

"Well, fuck a rubber duck that explains the smug look on his face."

"I think it's time for you to leave," McAsshole said, pointing to the road. "I don't know why you're here or why my jackass cousin sent you here, but you're not welcome. So go."

"First of all, I was invited. Second, I'm supposed to be staying here for the next week. And third…"

Very slowly McAsshole lifted his eyes up from his phone to meet mine.

"You're Bella Swan."

"How do you know my name?"

"I'm Edward Cullen," he said, pointing a finger toward his chest. "Riley's brother."

 _Fuck. My. Life._

* * *

 **Until Next Time...**

 **OzellaMarie**


	4. The Truth of the Matter

**Chapter 4**

 **The Truth of the Matter**

* * *

"I'm gonna kill that fuckin' idiot."

I watched Riley's brother as he violently punched at the numbers on his cell phone and waited for Officer McCarty to answer. When he realized that his cousin was definitely not going to pick up, Edward decided to call the station and leave a very detailed message for Emmett.

"Hey, Angela, this is Edward. It'd be great if you'd give my cousin a quick message. Can't seem to get him to answer his cell. Uh, yeah. Okay. Yeah, tell him that the next time I see him I'm gonna stab him in the eye with a screwdriver and then I'm gonna toss his limp, barely breath body into the wood chipper. And you can also let him know that before I toss him into the wood chipper, I'm gonna chop his fingers off and remove every one of his teeth to eliminate any identifiers. Yes, I said fingers, and teeth. Uh huh. Okay. Thanks, darlin'. You too."

Bella was pretty certain that her wide eyes were almost comical at Edward's murderous plan on his cousin. She wondered why on earth he'd share that bit of information with an employee of the local police department, joking or not. What if Officer McCarty found himself in a life threatening situation such as actually being stabbed in the eyeball with a screwdriver or having his fingers chopped off or more serious, dead? The local law would probably and automatically accuse Edward of the crime.

 _What an idiot…_

"You're still here?"

"You invited me here, genius," Bella replied before flipping Edward the bird and retreating to her car.

"And where the hell do you think you're going?"

As soon as she opened the car door, Bella straightened her back and drew in a deep breath before turning around and giving the asshole a piece of her mind.

"Never in all of my life have I allowed any man talk to me the way you just did and I'm not going to start now. I'm not exactly who you think you are but I will tell you what I know," she said, looking at him with renewed determination. "I was invited here. You invited me here, and all I want to do is say my last goodbyes to Riley but I'm not going to stay somewhere where I'm going to be treated like shit. I apologize for taking photos of your mother without her permission. That was wrong and an invasion of privacy and I apologize. But again, you or any other man will ever speak to me like you just did. So if you'll excuse me, there's a bed and breakfast in town where I'm pretty sure I will be a little more hospitable than here. See ya."

With one leg in the car, Bella's actions are stopped by a gentle grip around her arm. Her eyes snapped up and, in that moment when she looked up into those green eyes, something in the pit of her belly began to fire off much like it did the first time she ever laid eyes on Riley.

 _What the hell…_

"Your hand," she said, looking from Edward's eyes and on down to where he held on to her. Edward released her arm within seconds, and Bella was thankful that he'd moved a few steps back. The space between them was getting thick, suffocating to be exact. "I'll be at the Inn. Please have someone call me with the burial information. I'd appreciate it."

"It's Thursday," Edward said as he looked down at the ground, shaking his head. "We received a call that he'll be here Tuesday."

A wave of emotions rolled over every inch of Bella's skin. The pain that punched at her chest felt more like a sledgehammer pummeling her. Nothing about the entire situation was how her life was meant to be with Riley. This was not the happily ever after they'd talked about months earlier or the whispered promises of forever as they laid naked and sweaty professing their love to one another. This was not right and the entire weight of it all killed her from the inside out.

"How did you know my brother, anyway? I mean, from the letter I read he seemed very fond of you."

Bella's attention focused on Edward's words and zeroed in on two in particular… _the_ _letter_.

"What are you talking about?" Bella asked as her heart sank lower and lower. "What letter?"

"After we got the news of what happened to Riley a box package arrived at my house," Edward explained, his expression somber. "Anyway, the package contained several letters, one to myself, my mom, my dad, Jessica, you, and his son. Yours caught me off guard because I had no idea who you were so I got curious and…"

"What did you just say to me?"

"I said I got curious about the letter addressed to you because I…"

"No, not that, damn it." Bella felt her face begin to flood with heat as it crawled up from her neck, and her heart slammed against her chest, making it hard to nearly breathe. "The last letter you said. His son?"

Hot, sweltering tears bubbled to the surface and to Bella it felt as though everything she thought was everlasting, true, and real had just exploded into a million pieces.

"Yeah, he has a son," Edward replied, pulling his wallet out of his back pocket and retrieved a photo of a young boy. "That's Mason. He's eight. And that's his wife, Jessica."

Her stomach started to lurch and ache. Bella was on the verge of throwing up. She was so confused. How in the hell could she have not known about Riley having a wife and a child? Why would he have lied to her the way he did when she asked him if he was taken. He was so adamant that he was single, never having children, and had never been married.

Riley Cullen was a liar, and Bella fell for every single word and promise he's thrown at her.

"I…I have to go."

Before Edward could say anything else or even try to stop her, Bella hurried into the front seat of her rental, started the ignition and threw the car into drive. She hauled ass down the long road without looking back. The walls had begun to close in on her and all she wanted to do was wake up from this obvious dream. As she reached the end of the dirt road, Officer McCarty made the turn onto the gravel. She didn't care that he waved at her with a genuine smile on his face, and she didn't care that when she pulled out onto the main road, her tires spun and dirt sprayed in every direction.

"Riley, you're a son of a bitch and I hope you rot."

* * *

 **Until Next Time...**

 **OzellaMarie**


	5. Now What?

**Chapter 5**

 **Now What?**

* * *

The bed and breakfast came into view just as Bella reached the center of town. Out and about, some of the town's people were decorating Main Street with red, white and blue decorations. When she pulled into the parking lot at the bed and breakfast, Bella realized that it was the Fourth of July weekend and as busy as the town was just two days prior to the holiday, she had no doubt that the small Carolina town was going to be busy.

Bella turned the car off, leaned her head back against the seat and began to openly sob. It was one thing to find out that the man you thought was your soul mate who vowed to love you forever was dead, but it was a completely different story when you find out he had been lying to you during the entirety of your relationship, having already been married with a child.

The guttural, soul shaking scream that left her lips was enough to stir the Hell and everything in between. It wasn't until déjà vu banged against her window.

"Hey! Bella? Hey!"

The sound of his voice clawed at her senses. She wanted him to shut the hell up. She wanted him to leave her alone. She wanted him to just go away. She didn't ask for any of this. All she wanted to do was live her happy, perfect life in the city with Riley. That's all and as far as she was concerned it wasn't too much to ask. But now? Oh, well now everything she's known for the past two years has gone to shit and straight down the drain. Her cheeks continued to flood with tears as the knocking against her window progressed, but Bella ignored it as another memory of Riley consumed her thoughts.

" _Our babies are going to be beautiful."_

" _Do you really want children?"_

 _Bella's eyes snapped up._

" _Well, that's not exactly the reaction I was hoping for."_

 _Running her fingers softly down the center of his chest, Bella's heart dropped at the thought of Riley not wanting to have children with her._

" _I'm just thinking that we have a lot of plans to travel, and our careers are important as well. And let's not forget when I have to go away. Do we really want to bring children into our dynamic that are going to have to deal with me being gone?"_

 _Bella hadn't thought about it like that. The last time Riley deployed it nearly broke her and she couldn't imagine how that would affect that would have on a child._

" _I supposed you're right."_

" _I'm just saying that maybe we'd be better off just the two of us, ya know?"_

" _We can talk about it later though, right?"_

 _Riley kissed her gently on her forehead. "Yeah, sure, we can talk about it later."_

More tears slipped down her face because after that night, they never discussed the subject again. That should've been a red flag.

Bella's attention was pulled from the memory when Edward's voice got even louder. What she wouldn't do to stuff a sock in his mouth to shut his ass up right about now. And what in the hell is he making a damn fuss over anyway? Earlier he was ready to bust her window, and if he kept that shit up, he'd really bust it now.

"Go away, you psychotic dip shit!"

"Can you please roll your window down?"

Cracking it just a fraction, Bella shoved her middle finger out of the small sliver of an opening.

"Fuck you!"

"Look, all I want to do is talk. I'm sorry for the way I acted with you earlier. The last couple days have been… _bad_."

Bella stopped herself from saying anything. This wasn't just about her and her feelings, and even though Riley had lied to her, his family had ultimately lost someone dear to them. She had to remember that. With a deep, calming breath, Bella slid her window open until the barrier between them was completely gone.

"What?" she asked, realizing that her words came out sounding more sinister than she's of liked.

Bending at the knees, Edward brought himself to crouch down so that he was eye level with Bella. His hot, minty breath wafted across her nose, playing with her senses. Her first mistake was to breathe in the sweet smell, and the second was her decision to look directly into his eyes mid sniff. Her belly began to do weird things again, and she silently cursed herself for letting him get to her.

Bella watched as his eyes lowered, and she followed his line of sight until it reached her engagement ring. She swallowed hard when she saw his expression morph to confusion. She wasn't ready for any questions, especially not after all of the days revelations about Riley and his already made family. Maybe Edward would think that she was just actually friends with Riley, and maybe he'd believe her if she told him…

"Bella, how do you know my brother?" he asked, staring directly at her ring. "Please don't tell me that…"

"What?" The question came out more like a squeak which she quickly and silently bashed herself for not being able to keep her composure long enough to tell an epic lie while trying to make it sound like the truth. She had to think of something quick, though, if she wanted to keep Riley's family from any more heartbreak than they were already experiencing. Bella looked down at the ring and brought her hand up. "This? This is nothing. It's costume jewelry."

Bella immediately wanted to crawl in a hole and fucking die. For one, that lie was not epic and it sure as hell wasn't believable. And second, even if she was wearing a piece of costume jewelry that resembled an engagement ring, she was convinced that Edward and anyone one else for that matter might think she's a loser, but that's neither here nor there because for once she was at a loss for words.

"Quit staring at it. You're being weird."

Bella shifted in her seat and was caught off guard when Edward reached in and took her hand in his. As soon as they touched she felt something foreign, something that she hadn't ever felt with Riley. She brought her eyes to meet Edward's and it was all she could do not to burst out in another round of tears. Something about the man made her want to beat the shit out of him and jump into his embrace all at the same time. It was unnerving.

"I'm not going to ask you if this is an engagement ring because I know it is." Edward held her hand, running his thumb over the diamond as he kept his eyes locked on Bella's. "And I'm not going to ask you is Riley gave it to you because I know he did."

Bella quickly snatched her hand from Edward's grip and folder her arms in front of her chest.

"No, it's not. I told you it's just a piece of junk jewelry." Her stomach turned thinking that Riley had given her an heirloom piece that obviously meant something to his family only to ask for her hand in marriage and slipped it on her finger. Everything was a fucking lie. She was a player in Riley's sick game and never even knew it. "I picked it up at a yard sale. I wear it to keep the idiots at away."

"Bella," Edward softly said, knitting his brows together. "If I'm wrong I will admit it and apologize, but _that_ ring was my grandmother's."

"No, it wasn't."

"Okay," he said, as he reached down and gently pulled her hand toward him. "Take it off and turn it on its side. _Forever My Angel, Love Seth_ will be inscribed on the inside of the band and if it isn't I'll eat my words. Please, just look."

Bella slowly pulled her hand from Edward's palm. Her gaze shifted to the ring and her heart started to slam against her chest. She was scared. Tears slipped down her cheeks as she slowly removed the ring from her finger. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, hoping that what Edward had just told her wasn't true. She had hoped that at least one thing between she and Riley wasn't a lie.

 _Oh, God, please…_

Bella dropped the gorgeous ring in her other palm. She drew in a breath, opened her eyes and looked at the inside of the band. There it was, just like Edward said it would be. _Forever My Angel, Love Seth_ , was inscribed in the delicate metal, worn as a result of time, but there regardless. Bella sat and stared at the heirloom as her heart shattered all over again. How was it possible that one man could possibly destroy everything she thought was real in a matter of hours and from the grave?

"Bella?" Edward called to her in a whisper. "I'm so sorry."

She lifted her eyes to meet his and took his hand. Turning it over, Bella slipped the ring into his palm, closing his fingers to hug his grandmother's ring. It didn't belong to her. It never did, and truth be told, that ring held one too many lies and she could never bring herself to look at it again.

"This belongs to your family. I'm sorry about bringing this shit storm into your life." Bella tried to give her best smile but failed miserably. Feeling hollow and broken, Bella knew that there was only one thing left to do. "I'm going to head back to New York. Thanks for um…well."

Bella felt sick to her stomach as she slipped the key into the ignition and brought the rental to life. She'd decided that she would drive back Raleigh, turn in the rental and catch the first flight back to the city. She could drive but just thinking about an eight hour drive with just her memories of Riley to keep her company mixed with the lies he told would be more than an explosive mind fuck that she knew she couldn't handle. No. She just wanted to get back, back to her kind of normal and forget everything over the past two years. She wanted to forget Riley and bury within the deepest parts of her mind. As far as Bella was concerned Riley ceased to exist the moment she met him. He was dead to her and her memories.

"I hope you and your family heal from the grief and pain. I'm so sorry for your loss," she said, putting the car in reverse. "I gotta go."

As the car began to move in reverse Edward stood straight up on his feet and slammed his palm against the driver's side window frame.

"Wait!" Edward hollered out, gripping onto the car until his knuckles turned white. "Wait a minute. Please"

Bella slammed on the brakes when she saw Edward let go abruptly and his body twist. Letting the rental idle in the middle of the parking lot, panic crawled across her skin at the thought that she might have run over Edward's foot something far worse. Tossing the car in park, Bella got out of the car, leaving the car door open, and rushed over to Edward as he stood slightly bent over with his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath.

"Jesus, woman, you tryin' to kill me?"

"Shit! Are you okay?" Bella's eyes widen as she stood in front of Edward, checking him for any injuries. "Did I run you over?"

"No, no you didn't. But, hell, you came pretty close."

"Well, why didn't you move?"

"I was still talking to you," Edward said as beads of sweat prickled his forehead. "Scared the crap outta me."

"I'm sorry, Edward," Bella said, worry still covering her features. "You know what, I'm just gonna go. Nothing's broken and you're okay. So, take care. Again, I'm really sorry."

Just as she started to walk away, a firm grip grabbed hold of Bella's arm, stopping her in her tracks.

"Stay." Bella was taken aback at Edward's request. What would make him think that she'd want to stay in Safe Harbor after what she'd just learned about Riley? She wasn't crazy and she sure as hell was a glutton for punishment. She needed to be as far away from anything to do with Riley Cullen as possibly. The sooner she forgot about him, the better. "It's the holiday weekend. Traffic's gonna be shit. Plus, it's getting late. You're welcomed to stay at the ranch house tonight and then figure out what you want to do tomorrow."

"Thanks but…um…I'm gonna take off," Bella replied, turning around and heading for her car. Once she slipped in the driver's seat and put the car into drive, Bella rolled up next to Edward and smiled. "Take care, Edward."

Looking out her side mirror just as she was going to pull out of the parking lot, she watched as Edward put both hands behind his head, leaned it back a fraction and blew out a breath. Bella signed and knew that the decision she made was for the best.

Forty-five minutes later…

"Fuck!"

Just as she was about to reach the crossroads that would send her on to the highway, the rental began sputtering as if it was cracking at the seams. It jolted and jerked several times, causing Bella to pull over to the side of the road. When what looked like smoke started to billow out from under the hood Bella knew that she wasn't going to go anywhere. She was stuck and the only two people she could call for help were nearly an hour away.

"Damn, damn, double damn!" Bella yelled out, hitting the steering wheel a few times as she got out of the car and pulled out her cell phone. Looking through her call history, she came across Riley's number. Without thinking she deleted him as a contact. When she found what she was looking for she punched the numbers into the phone and got the voicemail.

"Really?"

She opened the number and sent a text, explaining where she was and what had happened. As soon as she closed out the message a new once came through.

 _Stay put. I'm on my way. Edward_

 _Now what?..._

* * *

 **Until Next Time...**

 **OzellaMarie**


	6. Overheating Tight Fits

**Chapter 6**

 **Overheating Tight Fits**

* * *

The sound of a diesel engine ripped down the road. When Bella looked out her rear view mirror and saw that familiar lifted black mega cab truck pull up behind her rental, her insides started to flip in an uneasy way. She pushed back the feeling. All she was going to worry herself about was getting the rental car up and running so she could hit the highway and head back home. Pretty easy as far as Bella was concerned. She was confident that there had to be a reliable mechanic around that could fix her right up and send her on her way.

"Did ya blow it up?"

"Nope. I was almost to the h…" Bella's reply fell short when her attention was drawn to the tattoos covering each of Edward's arms. She hadn't noticed them earlier because of the leather jacket he'd been wearing but with the sleeveless muscle shirt he was sporting, her gaze could roam freely over his inked up skin. Not only did he have a plethora of tattoos on each arm, they covered every inch of his skin from his wrists up to each shoulder. She even noticed a few peeking out under the neckline of his shirt. Bella pulled in a deep breath and ignored the fact that the ink on Edward's arms, mixed with the way his jaw shifted underneath his beard, down to the small smirk and his green eyes, quite literally turned her on. Trying to compose herself, Bella shifted in her seat and continued to explain what had happened to the car. "I was almost to the highway when this damn thing started to sputter and jerk everywhere and then smoke came out from under the hood. I just pulled it over and then called you."

"Well, let me take a look under your hood," Edward said, reaching a hand up to his head and turning his white and blue baseball cap backwards, smiling down at Bella before shoving his hand in the driver's side window of the rental. When his fingers accidentally brushed against Bella's calf as he moved to unlatch the hood, Bella jerked her leg back when he touched her, causing a slight shiver to crawl down her spine. "Sorry 'bout that. It's kind of a _tight_ fit in here."

Bella lifted a brow at Edward's suggestive words. Whether he meant them as such or not, it was enough to make her think about tight fits under the hood.

 _Son of a bitch, I need to get out of here…_

As soon as Edward cleared her driver's side door, Bella exited the car.

"Well, it looks like you fried your radiator. This thing's shot to hell and then some."

"Wonderful," Bella replied, placing her hands on her hips. "Now what?"

"Well, you can do one of two things." Edward removed his hat and ran his fingers through his hair. "You could call the rental company, or you should call the rental company, and let them know what's going on or I load it up on my trailer and take it over to Jake's and then you make your call."

"I'll just call the rental company," Bella said, pulling out her phone and stabbing at the numbers. "Maybe they can pick this one up and get me into another car."

"Did you try to call them before you called me?

"Yeah, but it was busy, and I…" Bella was cut off when a representative picked up. "Ah, yes. My name's Isabella Swan and I rented a car from you this morning. Uh huh. Yes, Swan like the bird. Well, it seems as though the radiator busted while I was driving. Yes, the car started sputtering and jerking and then smoke started coming up from under the hood and then the car shut off. Yes, I pulled it over onto the side of the road. Okay, thank you."

"Put ya on hold?"

"Something like that," Bella replied to Edward, hoping like hell the whole mess would get situated quickly. "Yes, I'm here. Okay. An hour? Why so long? I understand that but it's getting late. Monday? You've gotta be kidding me. I understand that it's a holiday weekend but I need to get back to the city. One tow truck driver? This cannot be happening right now. Lady, look. I understand your position but it is extremely important that I get home as soon as possible."

Silence filled the air as the representative continued to explain to Bella the reason why she would most likely have to wait until Monday to get back on the road while Bella silently chastised herself for picking a rental company that had less than stellar reviews and one that would save her loads of money. Next time she was going with the big dogs.

"No, that's okay. I'll end up being coyote food by the time you all get out here to rescue me," Bella replied, trying to ignore the smirk on Edward's face whom she was convinced was clearly enjoying her irritation. "I'll get the car towed to Black's auto shop in Safe Harbor. No, ma'am. Yeah, you too."

Bella slumped back against the car and let out a huge sigh. It was almost like being in the Twilight Zone. Every which way she turned there was no escaping no matter how hard she tried.

"It's getting late." The sound of Edward's voice breaks Bella from her train of thought. She turned her head to look at him. She had to admit to herself, even through the shit storm between Riley, the rental car taking a big dump, and being stuck in small town Carolina, Edward Cullen was a sight to look at. "So I'm guessing they aren't coming?"

"Nope." Bella shook her head. This whole situation was bound to turn into an epic disaster. "Would you mind taking me and the car to the shop? I'll just drop it off and head over to the Inn and see if they have a room."

"Not a problem," Edward replied, closing the hood and heading back to his truck. "Just let me get it on the trailer and we'll be on our way."

Bella thanked Edward as he walked back to his truck. She was certain that she was going to be stuck in this town until at least Monday but she was going to make damn sure that no other obstacles would stand in her way of leaving before Riley's funeral.

 _Absolutely nothing..._

* * *

 **Until Next Time...**

 **OzellaMarie**


	7. Cucarachas and A Handful Of Bed Bugs

**Chapter 7**

 **Cucarachas and A Handful Of Bed Bugs**

* * *

We pulled into the parking lot at Black's Automotive Repair and Body Shop just as they were starting to close up for the night. The building sat next door to the only gas station in town which happened to be operated by the same owners. An older gentleman met us outside covered in grease and looking as though he'd had the longest working day in history.

"How's it going, Edward? Got us another one to fix?"

Edward smiled at the man and shook his hand. There was a hint of admiration to that hand shake that was more than evident.

"Yep. Seems as though Miss Swan here has had a bit of car trouble that needs fixing. I told her you and Jake are the best in town."

The older gentleman smiled and nodded his thanks. His soft, gentle eyes crinkled at the edges and the lines around his mouth were even more defined when his mouth turned up in a small grin.

"Bella Swan, this is Billy Black, the owner of this fine establishment."

"How do you do, Miss Swan?"

"Please, call me Bella."

"Well, Bella, it's a pleasure to meet such a lovely young woman, especially one that makes the fool sittin' next to ya look halfway decent." Billy's wink and smile had me convinced that this must be how he and Edward joke around with one another. "She looks good on you, Edward."

Billy's words caused my stomach to do that flip-flop thing as it twisted in knots. Edward must have noticed my uneasiness because as soon as I started to shift in my seat he was quick to rectify the situation.

"Actually, Billy, this is…"

"His girlfriend," I blurted out with zero regard to any consequences that my word vomit might've caused. "Uh…"

I felt bad for Edward when he started to choke on nothing but air over my epic lie.

"Well, this is a development, now isn't it? Last time I checked Edward here wasn't the relationship type," Billy said with a grin and a wink in my direction. "But I can see why he'd have such a change of heart, Miss Bella."

"Yo, Pop!"

I hadn't even had time to see who in the hell was yelling from across the parking lot when Edward gave me an elbow to the side.

"What the fuck," I whisper-yelled at him as Billy's attention was diverted to the Parking Lot Screamer. "Have you lost your damn mind?"

" _Me_?" Edward whispered. "What the hell we're you thinking telling him that? I guarantee you in two point two seconds the entire town is gonna know. I am so fucked."

I twisted my body to face him and lean forward with narrowed eyes. "Well, excuse the hell outta me! I don't want anyone to know about your brother and I and that was the first thing that came out."

"But your boyfriend? Really?"

"Oh, well maybe I should've said your psychiatrist because you're beginning to act a little nutty right about now."

"Edward's got a girlfriend? What the fuck? Now that's some funny shit."

My head whipped in the direction of the loud voice shouting from the other side of the parking lot. My eyes widen when an overly buff man with long black hair, pulled back in a ponytail, started to laugh.

"Who's that?" I asked Edward as the man with an obscene amount of muscles and a smile to kill got closer to Edward's truck. "He's huge. Is he even human?"

"That's Jake, Billy's son, and as far as him being human we're all still up in the air about that." Edward chuckled at some apparent inside joke I wasn't aware of. "His family descends from the Quileute tribe out of Washington State. Word has it that some of them even turn into werewolves or some shit. If that were true, the most Jake would turn into is a fucking Chihuahua. All bark and no bite."

"Hey, dickhead, what's this I hear that you've snagged yourself a little hottie?"

I felt absolutely exposed when Jake started to openly check me out as a grin pulled at the side of his mouth. I've had men stare at me before but this buffed out canine boy wasn't discrete about it all.

"Jealous?" Edward replied with a look of irritation on his face.

"Just wondering where you've been hiding such a pretty thing." Jake responded still smirking before looking over at me and winking. "How ya doin', sweetheart?"

"My name's Bella, not sweetheart."

I'm not usually that cold and callous when I talk to people but that guy had rubbed me the wrong way, and if I was being honest, he wasn't my type to begin with.

"Beautiful and full of spark. Sounds like a great combo to me," Jake said, winking at me one last time. "Well, Bella, it's good to meet you. Heard you had car troubles. What can I do for ya?"

"Radiator blew," Edward replied for me, probably noticing my distaste for the town mechanic. "Other than that, not too sure."

"Well, I can take a look at it for you, but we're closing up shop for the weekend. Monday's gonna be the soonest that I can get to it. Gotta get my fourth on."

"That's fine," I replied. "It's a rental and I already called them about the situation with the car. They know it's coming to you."

"I'll give em' a call Monday. I just need you to fill out some paperwork and I'll put her up in the shop."

After filling out the necessary paperwork that released the car for repairs, I was more than relived when Edward said his goodbyes to Billy and Jake and we were able to get out of there. More than once during that entire time I felt uneasy and slightly dirty every time Jake's eyes silently undressed me.

 _Idiot_ …

"Sorry about that," Edward said as we pulled out of the parking lot. "Jake's a good guy. I've known him my entire life but he can be an asshole at will. And the way he looked at you?"

I cut my eyes over to Edward and watched his features change. More than irritation had set in and it kind of confused me a little bit.

"I'm over it," I replied, pulling my hair into a messy bun. "I just really want to get to the bed and breakfast and take a long hot bath."

Without replying, Edward continued to drive until we reached the bed and breakfast. A bit of déjà vu hit me and then the realization as to why I was even here smacked me right in the face. Pulling into a parking space, I didn't wait for Edward to turn the truck off before I opened the door and jumped out. I snatched my bags from the bed of the truck and met him at driver's side. Confusion set it as he looked at me expectantly.

"Thank you for coming to my rescue and I'm sorry if I put you out." I lowered my eyes before I spoke again. "I wish I had known the truth about your brother but I didn't. If I had, I wouldn't be standing here right now."

"You know, Bella…"

I didn't let him finish. Placing my hand on his forearm, I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. The last thing I wanted was to hear him apologize for everything Riley had done. Shaking my head, I looked into his eyes and instantly regretted it. They were soft and full of want. My belly twisted in delicious knots and I could feel myself caving by the moment.

"Thanks again, Edward. I'll see ya."

Without another word I plucked my bags up from the ground and hurriedly headed to the entrance of the building. When I entered a sense of relief washed over me. It felt like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders and I could finally breathe again.

"Hey, honey, how can I help ya?"

I lifted my eyes to see an older woman standing behind the registration counter. She didn't look like she belonged in the small, sleepy town. Rather, she looked like she should be plastered on every single cover of every fashion magazine in existence. The woman was gorgeous. She had that old Hollywood vibe going on, and I quickly wondered if there was a chance that she had been a model at one point or another.

I walked over to the counter and smiled through tired eyes and a worn out and exhausted body. All I wanted to do was sleep for the rest of the year.

"Name's Rina," the woman said with a bright smile. "Well, it's actually Irina but everyone around here just calls me Rina."

"Hi," I replied, sifting through my bag for my wallet and retrieving my credit card. "Would you happen to have an available room? I'll need it for three nights."

The woman behind the counter made a sucking noise through her teeth and scrunched up her features.

"Oh, I am so very sorry but I don't have any rooms available," she said, looking at her computer screen. "With the holiday coming up, I just booked my last room about an hour ago. You could always try the Motor Motel at the end of town but I'd seriously advise against it. Last I heard it's gone downhill in a quick hurry. But if'n you don't mind a few cucarachas and a handful of bed bugs, then there ya go."

My eyes snapped open even further at the woman's words. Who in the hell wants to be in a place like that? I mean, she could've very well been telling the truth about the motel and on the other hand she could've just been saying that so they didn't get my business. But why would that have mattered to her if she didn't even have a room available?

 _Oh my shit, what the hell am I going to do now?..._

"Hey, Miss Rina."

"Edward, sweetheart, c'mere and give us a big hug!"

I felt utterly deflated when I turned my head and saw Edward walking over to me, taking long strides until he swooped Irina up in his arms and twirled the older woman around, causing her to giggle like a school girl. If I didn't know any better, I'd say that there's a possibility that these two might've dabbled in a little after hours lovin'.

"How ya doin', baby?" Irina asked Edward as he set her on her feet. "How's that sister of mine? Ya need to tell her that she needs to get her behind down here to have lunch with me sometime or I might have to head on over and kick her in her shins."

"I'll let her know, Auntie," Edward replied with a grin and a chuckle.

"Auntie?"

Both Irina and Edward looked over at me. Irina wore an expression of confusion.

"You two kids know each other?" she asked, looking between Edward and me.

"This is my friend, Bella Swan. She's staying in town for the weekend," Edward replied. "You have a room key for her? I'll help with the bags."

"Actually, I don't. I already explained to Bella that I just let go of my last room about an hour ago. I'm sorry kids," Irina said, scrunching her brows together. "Edward, where are your damn manners? How come you didn't offer your friend a place to stay at the ranch house? Hmm?"

"Oh, no, I couldn't do that." I blurted my reply a little louder than I intended to. "What I mean is, is that I wouldn't want to intrude. I just thought…"

"Nonsense." Irina looked from me and then to Edward. "Well, Eddie? Manners much?"

"What? I was going to ask her earlier but she insisted on staying here," he replied, looking like a kid who'd just gotten scolded and then sent to his room with no ice cream. With his aunt still looking at him, Edward made quick work at picking up my bags and headed for the exit.

"Hey, what the hell are you doing?" I asked rather loudly.

"Let's go."

"Go? Where?"

"My place."

And before I could stop him from heading out to his truck with my belongings, Irina smiled brightly at me.

"Welcome to Safe Harbor, sweetheart!"

 _You have got to be kidding me…_

* * *

 **{Author's Note}**

 **Sorry for the delay in posting. Hope you all enjoy the chapter!**

 **FYI: In case this chapter doesn't reveal it clearly enough, I'm not exactly Team Jacob ;) But I promise to be nice to him :)**

 **Until Next Time...**

 **OzellaMarie**


	8. Looks Good On You

**Chapter 8  
**

 **Looks Good On You**

* * *

Bella's heart crashed against her chest as Edward drove out of town limits and back to the ranch house. She couldn't believe that her only option for the weekend was to stay in the same house with Riley's brother after everything that had happened in less than twenty-four hours.

As the truck made its way down the road that led out of town, Bella tried to fight the urge to chance at look at Edward. What could he have possibly thought of her in that moment or even from the moment he realized that his brother was engaged to one woman while still married to another. The thought made Bella sick to her stomach. What would his family think of her? The idea of Edward's family even having any knowledge of her relationship with Riley sent her straight into a panic. She was the _other_ woman, a home wrecker, and festering blister on the sanctity of marriage.

"You okay over there?"

Bella was shaken from her thoughts when she heard Edward's voice.

"What?"

"I asked if you're okay. You're really quiet."

No, she wasn't okay. Karma had literally punched her in the face with a dose of reality that she wasn't ready for and if she made it through the next five days in the small town it was going to be a damn miracle.

"I think I just need some sleep. I have a migraine setting in." It was true. She did have a migraine, but she also just wanted to shut herself off from the rest of the world. "Too much bullshit for one day."

"You like Chinese?"

Bella cut her eyes over to Edward. How could he even think about food right now?

"I'm not hungry." Bella blew out a ragged breath and ran her fingers through her hair. "I just want a shower and to sleep through the next decade."

"We'll figure it out. Don't worry."

With a twisted expression, Bella turned her head so that she faced Edward.

"Figure what out exactly?" There was absolutely nothing to figure out. Bella was damn sure aware of that fact. There was absolutely nothing that Edward nor anyone else could do to make any of this shit make any kind of sense to her.

Riley was a fucking liar. Plain and simple, and he had, in death, turned hers into a nightmare.

"I wish there was something more I could say that would make this better for…"

"Edward, I appreciate the thought, really, but there isn't anything that anyone, including you, can do to change the fact that your brother lied to me and apparently lied to all of you, too." Bella pulled a sliver of her bottom lip in between her teeth and screwed her eyes shut before opening them back up and leaning her head against the back of the seat. "I don't want to talk ill about your brother, especially in front of you, so if you don't mind I'd rather just drop the subject altogether. As far as I'm concerned, the sooner I can get back home the better off everyone will be."

Bella didn't give Edward a second glance. She'd decided that the best thing for all concerned was to drop the subject and internally deal with the situation at hand; getting through the weekend unscathed.

Silence sliced through the cab of Edward's truck as they continued to head out of town. Finally turning down the long stretch of road that Bella had become all too familiar with, she let out a long, exhausted breath as the ranch house came into view.

"I'll have my friend come pick me up tomorrow," Bella said as they pulled up in front of Edward's home. "If you don't mind me crashing here for the night, I'd appreciate it."

Edward shook his head, his irritation was evident. "You don't have to leave. You can stay here as long as you need."

The thought of staying any longer than she needed to, crawled up Bella's spine, and when an audible sigh caused her to look over in Edward's direction, she immediately regretted it. His green eyes flashed back at her through only a fraction of the sunset that crept through the windshield. He was like nothing she'd ever seen before, and he and Riley looked nothing alike. Whereas Riley's features were more the boy next door, clean-cut type, Edward exuded the more rugged and rough features as if he wasn't a stranger to hard work and grit. She could tell that he was a country boy through and through, and Bella found herself oddly attracted to that.

"I could always throw a couple steaks on the grill." Edward's voice blew through Bella's thoughts, bringing her back to the now. "I've been told that I can cook up a pretty good side of beef."

A grin cracked on Bella's mouth as Edward flashed her a goofy lopsided grin and wiggled his brows. It took them both no time at all before they started chuckling at the other as they neared the ranch house.

"Looks good on you."

"What's that?" Bella asked.

"That smile."

In that moment, as Bella looked over at Edward, his expression changed, and when her breath hitched in the back of her throat she realized in that very moment that something had shifted between them and it literally knocked the wind out of her.

* * *

 **Until Next Time...**

 **OzellaMarie**


	9. Reflections and Doggy Slobber

**Chapter 9**

 **Reflections and Doggy Slobber**

* * *

"Here, let me take your bags."

Bella's reluctance to stay with Edward at the ranch house was growing by the minute. It wasn't that she didn't appreciate the gesture, she just wasn't sure that it was such a great idea, considering the reason for her being there and what others might think. Apparently, Riley hadn't told any of his family about her up until this point, and the only reason Edward knew about her was because of a letter Riley had left for her, a letter that she still needed to get her hands on. As for friends, the only friends of Edwards that knew about her were the guys at the garage but by all accounts, they were convinced that she was his girlfriend, a lie she wished she hadn't of told.

As Edward grabbed her two bags and motioned for her to follow him up the stairs, Bella was nearly knocked to the ground when his dog came racing around the corner.

"He stayed here the whole time you were gone without taking off?"

"Oh, yeah. Ranger loves this place. Been with me for years and knows the lay of the land pretty damn good. Plus, he's aware of the boundaries and never runs off."

"Hey, boy," Bella cooed, bending at the knee to pet the old, black dog. Ranger took that moment to give Bella a few good sniffs and, without warning, decided it would be a great idea to give her a slobbery lick up the side of her face just as she turned her head to look at him. "Oh, well, nice to meet you too, boy."

Edward laughed as Bella ran her forearm down the front of her face to wipe off the wet, sticky dog slobber.

"C'mon, let me show you around."

As Bella followed Edward into the house she was taken aback by the sheer beauty of the home. Everything about the place screamed country from the pictures on the walls to the paisley printed curtains that adorned the windows. It was quaint and unmistakenly had a woman's hand in decorating it.

"This place is beautiful," Bella said, mostly to herself but noticed Edward smile as they continued further into the home. "Your mom do all this?"

Edward nodded. "Yeah. She's got a knack for it. She was an interior decorator years ago before she and my dad got together, mainly working for the wealthy. That's how the two met," Edward said as he stopped near the impressive staircase. "My dad's a retired architect and was married to another lady before he and my mom met, and needless to say, it was my mom his previous wife picked to do the interior decorating in their home he'd built as a wedding gift for his wife."

Bella soaked in the information Edward had offered up about his parents and wondered for a moment if his mother had been the cause of his father's previous failed marriage. If she had, maybe once she found out about Bella and Riley, she wouldn't be so critical of her.

Apparently, Edward had noticed the proverbial wheels spinning in Bella's head and he quickly intervened.

"And no, my mom wasn't the _other_ woman," he replied with a knowing grin on his face. "My dad's ex-wife cheated on him with his business partner, and when he divorced her, he hired my mom to redecorate his new home and that's how their relationship took off."

Bella listened to Edward's story as they started up the stairs, and her eyes scanned the wall as he spoke, taking in the many smiling faces that were engrained in the family photos. She couldn't deny that all of the people in the photos looked happy as if they hadn't a care in the world.

"And a few years later me and Riley showed up and…"

"Is this…"

Bella's feet felt like two cement cinderblocks as she stood glued to the ground, staring at a photo of Riley, a woman, and a small boy. It didn't take a genius to realize who the two other people were. Bella just had a hard time allowing that realization to settle in.

As Edward glanced at the photo his face fell a fraction and his expression changed. His smile had disappeared and was replaced by a wave of unspoken apologies as he nodded his head.

"Yeah." His reply kicked Bella straight in the gut but it was his next words that caught her attention. "That was two weeks before they found out that Jessica was sick. It was a bad time."

Before Bella could ask, Edward started back up the stairs and disappeared around the corner. _Sick?_ _What the hell did he mean by sick_ , she wondered. Whatever it was Bella wasn't going to dare ask. She didn't have any desire to poke any more into Riley's _other_ life than she needed to. Besides, she was only there for a couple more days. She'd say goodbye to Riley and then drive out of Safe Harbor with not so much as a glance behind her. She would leave him and this place in her past and start over.

"You're more than welcome to stay in here."

Bella was pulled from her thoughts when she heard Edwards voice, and thankful for the distraction as she felt herself begin to tear up as she thought of Riley. She quickly made her way up the rest of the stairs and headed down the hallway. Following behind Edward, Bella took in her new accommodations. The room was decorated beautifully from the crisp, white down comforter that spread out over a gorgeous four poster bed, to the light blush, floral printed curtains that hung over the windows. A vanity sat in a far corner of the room next to a hand carved armoire and a white chaise lounge sat beneath another set of windows. The entire expanse was breathtaking and Bella couldn't wait to sink into the plush bed.

Edward smiled at her wide-eyed expression and motioned for Bella to follow him once again. She was beginning to think that following the man was becoming a thing and she grinned inwardly to herself at the thought. As they reached another door, Edward nodded as Bella passed by him.

"Shit this is huge," she replied which made Edward laugh.

"Not too bad, huh?"

"Not too bad is an understatement."

It was the bathroom of all bathrooms fit for a damn queen and in that moment Bella felt like fucking royalty.

"Okay, you need to go," Bella said as she turned to face Edward, pointing to the bathroom door. "'Cause I need to get naked and get into that tub _right_ now."

Realizing how blunt she'd just been, Bella bit her bottom lip, closed her eyes and shook her head.

"I'm sorry. This is your house and that _really_ did come out wrong. But seriously, that tub is calling my name."

Edward chuckled and threw open his arms. "Well, don't let me stop you. Damn thing's pretty snazzy if you ask me."

After showing Bella how the jacuzzi tub worked and showing her where the linens were, Edward left Bella to her own and shut the door behind him. Bella's eyes scanned the room as she sat down on the toilet, letting the events of the day sink in. She felt hot tears rise up as she turned the water on and watched as the bathtub began to fill. As she began removing her clothes Bella remembered all those times when she and Riley would lay naked in the warm bath water, washing each other and letting the events of their day sink below the surface. She remembered one night in particular as she stepped into the tub.

" _We should go to Maui for our honeymoon."_

" _I was thinking more like Paris."_

 _Bella twisted her head so she could look up at Riley._

" _Seriously? Paris?"_

" _I'm very serious, baby."_

 _Riley kissed the top of Bella's head and smiled down at her. Bella thought to herself how lucky she was to have found such an amazing man to love her and want to spend the rest of his life with her. There wasn't a moment in the entire length of their relationship that Bella hadn't been thankful every day for Riley._

" _Or we could just stay home and spend an entire week in bed doing_ stuff _."_

" _What kind of stuff did you have in mind?" he asked, letting his hand slide beneath the water until it reached between Bella's legs. When he pressed his fingers against her, her back arched and a small moan escaped her lips. "Like this kind of stuff?"_

 _Bella slid her own hand beneath the surface of the water and placed it on top of Riley's, pressing it against his. As the pressure mounted against her sensitive skin, Bella's hips lightly began to move against Riley's hand, causing the water to swish and slosh._

" _All kinds of that stuff," she replied in a breathy tone._

" _If that's what you want," he started to say as he nipped at her ear. "Then it's all yours, baby."_

As Bella lay in the warm water thinking about the man that she gave her entire world to, her heart began to slam against her chest and tears started to spill down her cheeks. She was tired of crying. It seemed to be all she'd done since she arrived in Safe Harbor. Crying, reflecting and crying some more. Her heart had been shattered, and nothing she could do up until this point was going to change that. Riley Matthews had once given her the world or so she thought and, as quick as he had given it to her, she silently watched it all fade away. He and his love were gone, and she wasn't quite sure if either of those were ever hers to begin with or if any of it was ever real. Now she was alone and with her heart starting to break all over again, Bella knew that she needed to pick herself up and start over.

A light knock on the door caused Bella to snap out of her thoughts. For a moment, she'd almost forgotten where she was.

"Yes?"

"Um…you okay in there?"

Edward's voice did nothing to ease her pain as she continued to sniff back the tears, hopefully quiet enough that she could fake it this time.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm good," she replied, realizing that she had zero chance at an acting career.

"Well, I was making something to eat. You're welcome to join me when you're ready, or if you're interested."

At the mention of food Bella's stomach began to grumble. She was starving. There was no denying it. As far as her gut was concerned she might've very well been able to eat a side of beef.

"I'll be out in a minute," she called out to Edward.

"Sounds good."

With that, she allowed herself to sink down into the water and let the day she'd had slowly wash away.

* * *

 **After receiving a review about a particular part in this chapter about Edward telling the Black's that Bella was his girlfriend and Bella wished he hadn't told the lie, I went back and fixed it to reflect that Bella was in fact the one who told the Black's she was Edward's girlfriend. Thank you** VryUnique **for catching that.**

 **Until Next Time...**

 **OzellaMarie**


	10. Purring Besties and A Side Of Beef

**Chapter 10**

 **Purring Besties and A Side Of Beef**

* * *

Bella made her way down the stairs and heard music playing in the distance. Although she wasn't a big fan of country music, the song that was playing was very catchy as the man's voice sang about playing it again and singing to a woman about falling in love, and as she reached the bottom stairs, she found herself moving her hips to the beat of the music as she rounded the corner. The living room was dimly lit by the setting sunlight as Bella weaved her way through the room. She scanned the area and was immediately taken back by the sheer comfort of the place. As she entered the kitchen the music playing in the background became louder as she continued to walk, following the sounds of the song as she reached a set of glass doors. She drew in a breath when she saw Edward standing in front of a large, brick grill _shirtless_. The way his body moved with every beat of the song made Bella's skin prickle with unwanted excitement, and to her embarrassment, she'd been staring at Edward for so long she hadn't realized that he was staring back at her.

"Oh, shit," she said, feeling her face blush.

A crook of his finger, motioning for her to join him outside, was all it took for Bella to push the doors open. It was infuriating to her that he had that kind of effect on her.

"Hey, how was that bath? Bet those jets felt pretty damn good, huh?"

Bella's mind immediately went into the gutter. From water to her naked body and Edward somewhere in between, Bella's train of thought was downright swimming in the fucking toilet.

"Uh, it was okay but I've had better."

She would've patted herself on the back for that snarky remark if that _same_ remark hadn't sounded just a tad bit gutter worthy.

A knowing, slow grin began to spread across Edward's mouth but he didn't respond, and Bella was thankful. She wasn't sure how many more times she could make herself look like an ass and she truly wasn't prepared to find out.

"Hungry?" Edward asked. "I grilled a couple steaks, put together a salad and breadsticks are in the oven warming. Not fancy but I guarantee it'll be good."

As soon as Bella glanced over at the grill her stomach began to grumble. "I could eat."

Edward nodded and pulled out a chair for her to take a seat before serving the steaks and placing them on the table.

"Beer?" he asked, holding a cold bottle out in front of him. "Or I've got some iced tea, bottled water, and soda. What's it gonna be?"

Bella pointed to the beer, and even though she wasn't really fond of the taste, grateful to have something to calm her nerves.

"So, tell me about Bella Swan." Edward grinned as they both began to plate their meal. "I'm pretty sure there are a few secrets in that dainty closet of yours."

"Dainty?" Bella replied. "I'm not so sure dainty is the word I'd use, and there might be a few secrets but none I'm willing to share."

"Aww, c'mon." Edward popped a thick chunk of steak into his mouth and smiled. "There's gotta be something you can give me."

Bella choked on her beer as she took a swig from the bottle. If the man was trying to kill her, everything he was doing was going to accomplish just that. It was as though the innuendos were flying rampant around her and it was beginning to make her uncomfortable.

Bella shook her head and started shoving forkfuls of salad into her mouth, trying what she could to keep a cork in it. The less they spoke or the less Edward spoke, the better.

"Okay, fine." Edward threw back his beer in a couple long chugs before setting the bottle back on the table. "If you don't want to share a few skeletons at least tell me about life in the Big Apple."

"Not much to tell," she said, wiping his mouth with a napkin. "I take pictures. Nothing special."

"I wouldn't say that." Edward cocked a brow and graced her with another lopsided grin that Bella was reluctant to admit to herself made her insides explode with butterflies. "Do you take pictures of people or fruit and shit?"

"Definitely not shit. People and places are my thing."

"Well, sounds pretty damn special to me," Edward replied. "So where would one see these amazing photos of yours?"

"Here and there."

"You embarrassed or something, Miss Swan?"

Bella was armed and ready to flip Edward the bird when she looked up at him and saw his bottom lip between his teeth. He was nudging her, wanting to provoke her ass and she knew it. He was gauging her level of sassy and she wasn't about to back down.

"As a matter of fact, Edward, I'm far from being embarrassed about my work or anything else for that matter," she told him as she scooted her chair away from the table. "I just don't like to brag about the genius that is me when it comes to photography."

A loud roar ripped through Edward's lips and he chuckled at Bella's response as she made her way inside the house with her dishes in hand. She took a deep breath and began to rethink staying at the ranch house and halfway berating herself for the reaction her body was obviously having over Edward. Her emotions were all over the table. She needed a lifeline.

Bella pulled out her cell phone and speed dialed the one person in the world that she could always count on. She just hoped that her lifeline wasn't knee deep in some dude's bed.

"Hello?"

"Are you alone?"

"Depends."

"Well get alone. I need you like now."

"Spill."

Bella cut her eyes over to the glass doors thankful that Edward hadn't followed her into the house.

"I need you to come save me."

A long sigh trailed through the other end of the phone, and another. A slight moan rumbled against the receiver, and Bella immediately cringed. Her best friend was definitely knee deep in cock and balls.

"Oh, fuck. Are you fucking right now?"

"Ahh, no. Oh, right there. I'm…I'm not fucking. Oh, yeah. My cookie's being munched on. Damn, baby, that feels so good."

"You're a nasty bitch," Bella hissed in a low voice as her friend continued to make purring noises. "Why would you even answer the phone if you're bumpin' uglies?"

"Cause you called. Oh, yeah, daddy, just…like…that."

"Great," Bella replied. "I think I just threw up a little in my mouth."

"Oh! Oh, that tongue, though!"

"Rosalie!" Bella blurted out her best friend's name a little too loudly. "Focus, bitch, I need you to come rescue me!"

"Oh no, buddy, mama does not do that back door shit."

"Yep. Definitely threw up in my mouth this time." Bella closed her eyes and pushed down her irritation. "I'm just gonna text you the address. Map it!"

"Okay, okay, be there...ahh, right there!"

Bella didn't stick around to listen to any more of Rosalie's heavy panting and weird purring and quickly ended the call. She rapidly punched out a text to her friend with the address to the ranch house. As quickly as the relief began to wash over her, knowing that she was indeed going to be rescued from her current situation, it immediately disappeared when she turned around to find Edward standing behind her.

"So, you're leaving?"

Bella was at a loss for words. Sure their initial meeting was a shit storm, to say the least, but in the end, Edward had turned out to be a pretty decent dude but she still felt uncomfortable to no end.

"I just thought that this isn't my place to be here. Riley's gone. There's nothing I can do to change that." Bella shifted from foot to foot as the anxiety crept up her spine. She couldn't deny that there was _something_ shifting between her and Edward. She could feel it, and she felt like a complete tool over it. "I just think it's best if I head out and go back home."

Edward slowly nodded his head. Bella couldn't help but notice a bit of disappointment cross his features and her stomach quickly bottomed out.

"Well," he said, giving her a flat smile. "I'm just gonna clean up a bit and then turn in."

"I'll help you."

"No, no. I got this." Edward moved to the kitchen and placed the dishes he'd been holding on the cabinet before turning back to her. "It was nice having you around even though it's only been a few hours."

Bella felt sick to her stomach. "Edward, please let me help clean up. It's the least that I can do since you cooked that amazing meal…"

"I got it," he said, turning his back toward her as he got busy with loading the dishwasher. "Goodnight, Bella."

Bella decided to leave well enough alone and headed back up to the guest room to gather her stuff so she was ready when Rosalie showed up. There was no sense in browbeating the situation. She couldn't stay, and she was pretty sure that if Edward gave it a little thought he'd understand where she was coming from.

"I'll just…um…I'll just go get my things and wait." Bella turned and headed for the stairs. "Thanks for everything, Edward."

Before she reached the bottom step on the staircase, she was stopped by Edward's voice and the next words that came out of his mouth.

"My brother was a lucky man."

Bella closed her eyes and didn't respond to his statement and made her way up the stairs. The sooner she left, the better off they would both be.

* * *

 **Until Next Time...**

 **OzellaMarie**


	11. Silicone Jugs and the Lion's Den

**Chapter 11**

 **Silicone Jugs and the Lion's Den**

* * *

"She hung over?"

"That would be a negative."

"Leave it my best friend to fall asleep outside. Usually happens after she's knocked back a few."

"Like I said, no alcohol. I woke up this morning and found her out here."

"Hey! Swan! Wake your boney ass up!"

You know that point when you're in a deep sleep but for some reason, you can hear shit going on around you? Kind of like teetering a line? Well, that's where Bella found herself, teetering the line of unconsciousness and reality, and in two point two seconds she swore that she'd beat the asshole who decided that kicking her in the leg was the best idea.

"Stop it, asshole."

"Fine. I'll stop it when you decide to get up so we can get the hell outta Mayberry."

When Bella finally attempted to open one eye everything around her was fuzzy and a little on the wobbly side as she tried to focus in on the only woman in the vicinity that knew who she was. She blinked several times before zoning in on her best friend's long, bare legs. That woman should've been a model. She had legs for days, and if Bella had never met Rosalie, she'd have sworn the woman had graced a catwalk or two.

"I will pluck your silicon jugs right outta of their skin suits, Rose."

"Try it."

Bella let out a strangled noise as she tossed around on the lounge chair just as the sunrise started to seep through her barely opened eyelids. The voices that trailed around her seemed to only get louder and she moved to sit up. Her head pounded. Another migraine. She'd been fighting the damn things ever since she found out about Riley.

"You were supposed to be here last night," she said as she searched around the lounge for her bag.

"Yeah, well, _things_ popped up, my friend."

"I bet," Bella replied as she snatched up her bag. "When did I come out here?"

"I'm not sure. Woke up and found you out here."

Bella's eyes quickly shot up and zeroed in on Edward. Even in the morning, just fresh from rolling out of bed, the man was beautiful. She'd convinced herself last night that leaving would be for the best because every time she just so happened to catch a glimpse of Edward, invisible lines were being drawn and if she stayed any longer, she was afraid that one of those lines just might be crossed. Regardless of Riley and the relationship she'd had with him, Bella was aware that there was some sort of mutual attraction between she and Edward and even silently admitting that to herself made her sick at her stomach. She had come to Safe Harbor for one reason and one reason only; she was there to say goodbye to Riley.

Pulling out of her thoughts, Bella got to her feet and slung her bag over her shoulder. She needed to get back to the city and take a moment to breathe.

"I'm ready when you are."

Bella didn't wait for Rose to reply as she weaved her way through the house and to the front door but as soon as she reached for the handle, the door flew open.

"Well, hey there!"

Sharp objects, every last one she could think of, sprinted through Bella's mind when she found herself toe-to-toe with Officer McCarty. One, he was supposed to be the law around here, helping people and saving them from themselves and others which he failed to do during their first run-in. Two, knowing who Edward was and not sharing that little bit of information with her, he was sending the lamb into the lion's den when he let her traipse off into the clutches of his cousin, knowing damn well that _Edward_ was the McAsshole she referred to her first day in town.

"Don't hey there me," she replied with a bit of a sneer. "Some officer you are. You couldn't have told me from the get go that you knew Edward? Or at least given me a heads up?"

"Hey, hey, hey," he smiled, holding his hands up in there air. "To be fair, I didn't lie to you about my cousin, I just didn't tell you that I knew who he was. And from the looks of things, he didn't rip your head off. You look intact to me."

"Laugh it up, buddy. I'm guessing that such a small time cop as yourself needs some kind of comic relief to make up for the scarce law breaking in this Podunk town of yours. I have a right mind to write a serious, lengthy letter to your mayor letting him know that you are _not_ part of Safe Harbor's finest. What do you think about that, Officer Mc-I-Don't-Know-How-To-Do-My-Job?"

"They mayor, huh?" A toothy grin spread across Officer McCarty's face before he said, "Well, be sure to tell my dad hello for me."

 _Great_. _That's just great._

"Alright, let's go…"

As soon as Rose appeared it felt as though all the air had left the room, and Bella immediately knew that they weren't going anywhere any time soon.

"Well, well, well. The thought of being put in handcuffs never looked so damn good."

 _Damn_.

* * *

 **Until Next Time...**

 **OzellaMarie**


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